It looks like another hot video game property will light up the box office in the near future.
Sega’s Yakuza series hopes to replicate the success Sonic had at the box office with an upcoming adaptation of the game’s narrative for cinema screen. And there are some pretty big names attached to the project.
1212 Entertainment and Wild Sheep Content are partnering with Sega to bring the vaunted gangster series to life and, if the games themselves are anything to go by, we could have our next big gaming adaptation on our hands with this.
First released back in 2006 on the PlayStation 2, the Yakuza series is a staple of video gaming at this point. Featuring excellent narratives and award-winning writing, the Yakuza series takes the cinematic spirit Sega introduced with the Shenmue games on Dreamcast and takes it up to eleven.
Per the game’s own website, “Set primarily in Kamurocho, the heart of Japan’s seedy red light district, the cast of Yakuza walks the fine line between light and shadow, facing the consequences of their connections to the criminal underworld in their daily lives. Full of heart, humor, and human drama, players discover just what it means to become a dragon among men.”
Sounds like pretty good material for a video game movie to us.
But don’t take our word for it.
1212 said in a press statement, “Yakuza offers us a new playground in which to set compelling stories with complex characters in a unique environment that audiences have rarely seen before. The saga of Kazuma Kiryu has a built-in cinematic appeal – a mix of kinetic action with bursts of comedy, multiple converging storylines, and a gripping journey towards redemption.”
Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande and Joshua Long are slated to produce the series. Variety reports that Barmack’s previous work includes, “Quicksand,” “Sacred Games” and “The Rain.” 1212 is more recently known for its work on the cult classic novel-to-film adaptation “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.”
What do you think of Sega’s plans to bring the Yakuza series to film? A wise move given the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog film? How would you like to see them do it? Are you a fan of gaming movies in general? Let us know your thoughts on this story (or tell us your favorite game-to-film adaptation or the worst one ever in your opinion) in the comments section below.
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